


Noodle Nonsense

by Feynite, SeleneLavellan



Series: Dirthalene [7]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Ancient Elves (Dragon Age), F/M, Feynite Fanwork, Fluff, Multi, Selene is the smallest dragon, light poly development, well intentioned kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 10:27:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16871251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feynite/pseuds/Feynite, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeleneLavellan/pseuds/SeleneLavellan
Summary: Dirthamen blinks open his eyes, to find a small, vaguely guilty-looking dragon blink back at him.--Mostly Silly Adventures of my Selene Lavellan exploring her noodle dragon form.





	1. Chapter 1

Dirthamen has been overworking himself somewhat, he knows.

But it is a trend that has been consistent to most everyone, and so it, seems, a matter of course. Still. It is important that he not tax himself to the point of detriment; so when circumstances see fit to remind him of his body’s limitations, he attempts to rest.

In the early afternoon, as Deceit watches Selene attempt to master more of her new form, he settles down on one of the couches in his chambers, and falls asleep.

And indeterminate length of time, he wakes up.

There is an odd but persistent tugging sensation in the vicinity of his chest. Not painful, but he has the sense, as he opens his eyes, that it has formed a kind of pattern. Something is plucking at his clothes, he realizes. Something warm and oddly serpentine, settled onto his chest, and…

Ah.

Dirthamen blinks open his eyes, to find a small, vaguely guilty-looking dragon blink back at him. Several of the buttons from the front of his vestments have been pulled entirely free of his outfit. They are, he notes, resting in a tiny pile beside the couch. Shining, because they had been his concession to the need for some flare in his appearance. The front of topmost shirt is half open, and Selene is coiled atop him, half burrowed underneath the layer.

Presumably for warmth.

“Were you attempting to undress me, or were you stealing my buttons?” he wonders.

Selene emits a faint burst of embarrassment, and makes an inarticulate and evasive grumbling noise. She is still having difficulties with comprehensible speech in this form, though nevertheless, she makes herself understood. Dirthamen supposes that if she intended to undress him, she would probably change back into an elven form for that. So it seems likely that her draconic instincts were overcome by his buttons.

It is oddly endearing.

He shifts and moves one of his hands up from the side of the couch, flexing his fingers against an unpleasant, tingling numbness that has settled into them. And then he reaches over, and begins to gently scritch his fingers over Selene’s scales.

The effect is immediate, as Selene’s grumbling turns into a soft chirruping noise, which she then swallows back with another whiff of embarrassment. She turns her head towards Dirthamen’s hand, however, and he obliges her by gently scratching at her eye-ridges – which tend to be hard for her to reach, and are prone to itching. And then he brushes his hands down her sides, and rubs little circles over the muscles there, which are the most commonly strained by her various contortions and escapades in this form.

Selene arches into his touch, and begins to make unabashedly happy dragon noises.

The warmth of her scales and the rumble of her contentment is very lulling, Dirthamen finds.

“You may keep the buttons, if you like them,” he informs her.

Selene sighs, and rolls her eyes – which is a surprisingly effective expression on a tiny dragon – before she inches up higher along his chest, and tucks her head up against his. The warmth coming off of her is even more substantial like this, and the occasional rumbling purr she lets loose seems to reverberate pleasantly through him.

Dirthamen lets out a soft breath, and drifts back into sleep once more.


	2. Chapter 2

“I’ll be back in a few hours,” Selene calls, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

Fear frowns as they flit down from the rafters, shifting into an elvhen form in order to block her path. “Where do you think you are headed?”

 

“The book shop is over stressed and can’t send someone all the way up here for deliveries today, so I’m going to pick up my order myself.”

“No.”

Selene raises an eyebrow “Surely we’re past this by now.”

“With the political unrest going on, it is unsafe for you to leave the palace grounds unattended, and both Deceit and I have other duties to see to.”

“Then go see to them. I’m only going into town, Fear. I’ll be back by the time Dirthamen’s meeting is finished, and when I get back and your work is done, we can do whatever you’d like to help your nerves settle, alright?”

 

Fears face seems to give the distinct impression that he is very much  _not_  alright, but can’t seem to come up with a convincing enough reason to keep her here instead. Selene takes advantage of his hesitation, placing a soft kiss on his cheek before heading out the door and towards the path into town.

–

 

The town is bustling when she arrives. Elves placing orders at each stand, stocking up for upcoming changes to potential food and resources for their own projects. Weapons to defend themselves with, or ways to deliver messages to loved ones in other territories as less and less people are willing to make the journeys.

Selene wonders for a moment, what has happened to her own family, back in Sylaise’s lands. For a brief second, she debates the merits of sending a letter of her own to see how they are faring. But a letter from a dead daughter would only cause problems, and while they were not great parents, she doesn’t wish to cause them any further troubles.

Shaking the thought from her head, she pushes her way into the bookstore, greeting the shop owner with a warm smile.

 

“H-Hello Selene,” They greet, a note of panic flashing through their aura before being replaced with their usual calm, polite demeanor. “Here for your order?”

 

“Yes, thank you.” Selene glances around the store front, in case anything new had arrived she might have overlooked while the yellow haired elf heads into the back room for her books. “I’m sorry to hear your apprentices have been so overworked. Is there anything I can do to help?” She calls.

 

“No, no. That’s-you’re really too kind my dear,” They assure her, coming out from the curtain sectioning off the store front from the bulk of their stock. “I’m sorry you had to make the trip all the way out here.”

 

“It’s no trouble,” She grins as she holds up her new purchases “And always worth it!”

 

The shop owner gives her a small smile with a touch more sadness than she is used to seeing from them.

“Is everything alright?” Selene asks softly.

 

The shop owner swallows, their usual smile returning to their face “Yes, yes of course. Do take care of yourself, Selene. Safe travels.”

 

Selene nods, tucking her purchase into her bag and returning the sentiment as she heads back out to the busy streets.

A streak of gold darts through her peripheral vision, Selenes head whipping to the side in reflex. She frowns, seeing nothing, and dismisses it as a passing spirit, or an illusion of some kind, continuing her trip back.

As she approaches the outskirts of the city, she spies a young round woman crying on a bench. Her hair is thick with curls, and Selene can’t help but to approach her.

  
“Are you alright?” Selene asks, bending over slightly to try to get a better look at the woman’s face. Her head shakes, and her sobs become stronger. Selene sits down next to the woman, wondering what could be bothering her so, or how she might be able to help. After a few minutes, the woman seems to compose herself enough to speak, and Selene ventures to ask again what is bothering her so.

 

“My Vhenan,” she manages between sniffs “They’re injured, and I don’t know what to do. All of the healers in town are busy with the soldiers and the recruits, and they have no time to see to them. I just don’t know what else to do. They’re in so much pain, and I…”

 

Selene places a reassuring hand carefully on the woman’s back “I could see to them, if you would like.”

“Truly?” The woman asks from beneath long lashes.

“I am not a healer in practice, but I’m familiar with the art. I may be able to at least ease their suffering until a proper professional can see to them.”

 

“Oh, thank you, thank you!” She cries, standing quickly and taking Selenes hand in hers. “They are right this way! Thank you, miss…”

“Selene.”

“Selene,” she repeats. “Wonderful.”

 

Selene follows after the woman past the edge of the town line, and into the woods.

 

“Where is your paramour?” Selene asks after they enter an area she’s surprisingly unfamiliar with.

“Not far.”

 

Selene frowns, and looks briefly over her shoulder. She can still see the lights from the town, so she supposes she’s still safe. Still able to find her way back to others if she needs.

The woman’s hand releases Selenes hand as they approach the line of the river, and Selene glances around, feeling more and more unsettled as she still doesn’t see anyone else nearby “I don’t…What’s going on?”

“This is for your own good, Selene. Really.”

“What-?!” Selene is cut off as her vision fills with the sight of golden hair and skin, pressing an enchanted cloth over her mouth as her vision begins to blur.

 

The last coherent thought she remembers, before it all goes black, is that Fear is never going to let her hear the end of this.

–

 

 

When Selene regains consciousness, she doesn’t recognize her surroundings. She remembers trying to reach Deceit and Dirthamen and Fear in the dreaming, and feeling cut off. Somewhere well-warded then, she supposes.

Her mouth feels dry, and when she tries to push her hair from her face, she finds her hands are tied together behind her.

Tied to a chair.

Great.

 

Selene shifts her hips and releases a small bit of her magic, trying to wiggle the chair across the room, and is disappointed to find it is welded and enchanted to the floor.

Well, that won’t work.

 

“Are you alright?” the woman from earlier asks, walking in with a glass of water.

 

“I’d be a lot better if I knew where I were, or why I was here.”

 

The woman just tilts her head in a ‘yeah well, what can you do’ sort of manner, and sits in a chair across from Selene.

 

“So. Sick Vhenan, huh?”

 

“I do  _have_  one. They’re just not actually sick. Our reports said the easiest way to manipulate you would be to appeal to your heart. I didn’t think it would work this well, honestly.”

 

Selene huffs. She wishes it hadn’t worked too, but has only herself to blame. “Well, you clearly know my name, and more. Do I get to know anything about you?”

 

“You can call me Squish. Lots of people do already, so it’ll make things simpler.”

“Ok, Squish,” Selene nods “And what am I doing here?”

“We’re rescuing you.” She answers simply.

Selenes eyes narrow “Nooo…No, pretty sure kidnapping is the opposite of that.”

 

“I’m sure this seems strange now. But in a few days, whatever spells or conditioning they have you under will start to wear away beneath the wards of this place, and you’ll see more clearly.”

 

Selene sighs and shakes her head “Oh, Squish. Poor, poor Squish. You have got some bad information coming in somewhere.”

“Oh?”

“I’m not under any spells, or conditioning, or…whatever it is you think is affecting me.”

 

“Of course not,” She placates.

Selene groans “No,  _really._ ”

 

“Then why do we have reports of you sharing intimate encounters with Lord Dirthamen, over the course of several centuries?”

“Probably because I’ve been in a relationship with Lord Dirthamen, over the course of several centuries.” Selene shoots back.

 

Squish blinks.

 

“I’m in love with him.” Selene explains. “And I have a dinner date, actually, so if you just let me go, I’ll pretend this never happened, you can deal with whoever is feeding you bad intel, and we can all go back to our normal lives, alright?”

 

Squish stands from her chair, moving closer to Selene until their eyes are on level with each other. After a few minutes, she lets out a heavy sigh.

“You poor dear,” Squish whispers “This must be much worse than we had thought. Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of you, alright?”

 

Selene groans again and lets out a string of curses “You’re making a mistake.”

 

“We’ll see,” Squish hums, making her way out of the room with a sway to her hips Selene recognizes from her time with Des.

 

Fear is  _ **never**_  going to let her live this down.


	3. Chapter 3

Three days pass, before Selene meets Glory.

 

Squish unties her from the chair, and Selene rubs at her wrists, gently coaxing blood flow back into them.

“Am I free to go then?”

“That depends on you,” Squish smiles.

 

Selene sighs “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you, I’m not under any sort of control.”

Squish just shrugs “I guess that’s a no on getting to go then.”

 

Selene lets out a large groan as she stretches her legs “Can I at least feed myself from now on?”

“You haven’t been enjoying our time together? I’m hurt!”

“Your aim could be better.”

“ _You_  were the one who spit.”

“ _You_  were the one who said it was poisoned!”

“ _Could_  be, I said  _could be_  poisoned! And it was only because it’s really terrible form to accept food from people you don’t know.”

 

“Especially when they kidnap you off the streets,” Selene grumbles.

“Yes, exactly. You should take better care of yourself.”

 

Selene throws her hands up in the air in a vague approximation of ’ _are you kidding me right now_ ’ while Squish holds out a change of clothes. Selene eyes them suspiciously while Squish shakes them towards her again.

“They don’t bite,” Squish insists “Change into these, and we’ll go have a talk.”

 

“Oh good, that sounds not-at-all-ominous,” Selene deadpans.

 

“ ‘Please, come quickly, my vhenan is so sick~!’ “ Squish mocks, imitating their initial encounter before deadpanning back to a blushing Selene and stuffing the new clothes into her hands. “Ominous doesn’t really seem to be a turn-off for you.”

 

Selene blushes more, and begins undoing her foot wraps , leaving her legs bared. She moves to start unbuttoning her top, before giving a pointed glance between Squish and the door.

 

“Seriously? You can’t change with me in here?” Squish asks with a raised eyebrow.

 

“I didn’t realize it was a crime to be shy,” Selene mutters, face pointedly turning more red. She’s quiet for a moment before adding “In the past, I had issues with people and…things I wasn’t comfortable doing with them…”

 

Squish seems to soften slightly, and Selene makes a silent note of it as she scratches at the top of her head “Fine,” Squish allows “But be quick.”

 

“Thank you,” Selene smiles, as the other woman strides back to the other side of the door.

 

Selene starts unbuttoning her top, slowly, listening to the woman outside. When she hears her strike up a casual conversation with one of the guards, Selene knows it’s her chance.

 

It’s not a trick she’s particularly good at yet, and it’s supposed to be for emergencies only, but she’s pretty sure this counts.

 

She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and forcing awareness into her form. She thinks of scales, and fire, and freedom, and feels her clothing begin to slide away from her as her form begins to shrink. Her arms shorten, her spine extending as her vision narrows and she concentrates on staying focused. On keeping in control of the dragon.

She’s still not a very large dragon, small and easily mistaken for a snake if you don’t look too hard (because you’d have to miss the horns and the arms and the legs) but hopefully that will work to her advantage. It is much easier to move around when you are small after all, and a large dragon could not fit through the hole between the stones she has been concentrating on widening for the last three days.

 

Selene waddles her way out of the pile of clothes, shaking off her desire to maybe take just  _one_  button with her, because what could  _one button_  hurt, and crawls her way up the stones and into the hole. 

The building (fortress?) seems to be sturdy, as she crawls through the patterns in the wall, mentally mapping her way in case she needs to turn back. She can hear armor and boots shifting outside, and does her best to move carefully. She doesn’t want to loosen the wrong bit of stone and pull attention to the walls, and it’s difficult enough already to ignore the claustrophobic feeling of being this confined, her small wings folded up and pressed tightly to her back. She comes to a full halt when she sees light shining through an opening. Not sunlight, it seems. Voices speak up before long

 

“What do you mean  _she disappeared_?”

 

“I mean she was supposed to change clothes, and then suddenly all that was left was a pile of clothes on the floor, but no body to go with them,” Selene recognizes this voice at least; poor Squish, trying to explain her vanishing act.

 

“So there’s a scared, naked elf running around the fortress, probably trying to find or reach her lover who would gladly kill all of us without a second thought, and we have no idea how to find her. Am I getting this right?”

“Sounds like it, yeah.”

 

The other elf lets out a long suffering sigh and stands from wherever they had been seated. Selene recognizes the flash of gold hair through the hole, and forces herself to remain still, pulling her aura in as tightly as she can to avoid notice.

 

“Fucking fantastic,” Gold Elf mutters. “Like having his people combing the city for her isn’t enough of a pain.”

 

Selenes ears perk up slightly at that; at least he’s looking for her. Not that he wouldn’t be, she supposes. She had told Fear she’d be right back and then disappeared for several days. They’re probably having conniptions about what could have happened to her. A spike of guilt shoots through her. She’s fine, after all. He has other things he should be focusing on, other responsibilities that need his attention more than she does.

All the more reason to get out of here.

 

When Selene snaps out of her thoughts, she notices the conversation has stopped. She hadn’t noticed if the door had closed, and they had left the room, leaving it clear for her to move through, though. Slowly, as slowly as she is able, Selene scoots towards the light. She doesn’t hear any signs of people in the room, and cautiously sticks her snout out, sniffing for danger when-

A hand snatches at one of her horns and yanks her from her hiding place.

Selene panics, opening her mouth and pouring out white hot flames all over whomever had grabbed at her. They let out a loud curse, and she drops to the ground, shuffling her way across the cold floor and towards the opposite wall, eyes searching, scanning, searching-There! Another hole, just big enough for her to squeeze through, if she can only-

But the others hand snags her tail, lifting her off the ground and no, no, her wings aren’t strong enough yet to carry her out of their grip, and she twists her body, contorting as she readies another blast, but a firm hand clenches her jaw shut and all she manages is a rather angry looking smoke cloud leaking from between her teeth.

 

“Well now. What a small little thing you are, hm?” The Gold elf taunts as they hold her high enough that their eyes can meet. Selene manages an angry growl through her clenched mouth, and a glare to match, but the other elf just laughs.

 

“Well, that explains it,” Squish sighs “We prepped for a bird, not a baby lizard.”

 

Selene tries to twist again to face Squish because she is  _Not_  a baby lizard she is a  **Dragon** , she has the horns and the wings and the fire, and if she has to explain that to _one more person_ -

 

“Calm down,” The gold one soothes, and Selene feels her body is actually  _listening_.

It’s strange to feel unnerved at the notion of being calm.

 

“Selene,” Squish intones, stroking one finger softly over her back (and Selene absolutely did not purr at that sensation and anyone who claims otherwise is a  _dirty liar)_  “This is Glory. They’re the ones who would like to talk to you.”

 

Selenes eyes dart between Squish and Glory, the former still practically petting her wings and scales while the latter smiles and exudes an aura of calm into the room.

“If I release you,” Glory offers “You are agreeing to not attack, or run immediately away. Understand?”

 

Selenes eyes narrow; it could be a trap. 

It’s definitely a trap, really. 

But if they were going to kill her, they’d have done so already. And they haven’t poisoned her food, or treated her poorly, or tried to hurt her. So she nods. They release her tail first, and then her mouth. She stretches her jaw once, twice, tongue flitting out just to make sure it can before she coils into a more comfortable position on their desk.

She means to say “I’m listening,” but manages mostly just a quiet, high pitched “Mmr,” noise. 

Squish’s hand moves quickly to cover her giggle, and Glory doesn’t bother to hide their smirk while they begin their pitch.


	4. Chapter 4

It has been a week since Selene went missing.

 

A week, since Deceit dragged the bookstore owner into the dungeons and searched them for information on her whereabouts.

A week, since Dirthamen discovered Glory was still around.

 

Each day drags on, as even his most skilled spies are unable to find so much as a hint of her. Night after night, Fear scours the dreaming for her, and each morning they return empty handed.

This is his fault, of course.

If he had been more forceful when asking her not to go, if he had insisted that she be accompanied by someone, if he had given her more incentive to stay, instead. No doubt she has been taken because of their closeness. He has not hidden her well enough, he has been too open with his affections, and Selene is paying the cost.

It is unfair.

…It was unfair what they did to Glory, as well. He has learned that, over the years. He has softened, he has learned from his daughter, from Selene, of kindness and empathy and moral boundaries. He has learned that his brother was cruel, and that it was a moral lacking of Falon'dins, and not Dirthamen’s, that caused it.

Even if that is not always something he truly believes.

 

It does not bode well for Selene, if she is with Glory. There have been no ransoms, no lists of demands sent to him, or his people. Nothing he could agree to give up in exchange for her safe return.

Which leads him to infer that they do not intend to offer her safe return.

 

It is a miserable feeling. He has become unaccustomed to sleeping alone, after so many centuries of sharing his bed. And so, he has been avoiding sleep until his body demands it of him. He is fatiguing himself, trying to find her, trying to keep his territories under control with the rising tide of rebellion already rocking against his shores. Stretching himself farther than he should, than he is able to in his current state.

His body has become less solid, he is aware. His mind less focused as his thoughts wander to where should could be, what she could be doing, whether she is all right. Deceit has taken over for much of his duties, although they are not in a much better state themselves.

He longs for her in a way he has not felt in memory. It is not in a way he enjoys. The way it sits on his chest and weighs heavy in his mind is far too unpleasant for him to find any joy. A sensation he once thrived on, become his slow undoing.

 

On the fifth day, his daughter comes to visit.

It is good to see her again, her visits few and far between these days. He tries to pull himself together, to make himself presentable and unoffensive for her to speak with. But his neck is too long, his wings spread too far behind him, and he can not seem to force his bones to remain entirely solid when he is sitting.

 

“There has truly been no clue to her whereabouts?” Mana'din asks. His daughter. One of the few people he knows he can trust, still.

 

“I have found one lead, but it is not one I have had success in tracking.” he admits.

 

She gestures silently for him to continue, head tilting slightly in concern.

 

“I believe she was taken by Glory.” he admits. Not information he has shared, of course. After their disappearance had lead to his own brothers demise, open knowledge of them would likely lead to a hunt that the empire can not afford to spare at this time.

 

His daughter freezes. “Glory is dead.”

 

“That is what I thought as well,” he agrees “Or run back to the dreaming, or someplace outside of our reach. But when I dug through the memories of the last person known to see her, they revealed that they had been blackmailed and threatened by an all too familiar face. I would not mistake theirs for another.”

 

Mana'din leans back in the chair contemplatively. Lets out a heavy sigh. “That is…troubling.”

 

Dirthamen nods. “Any assistance you could lend to the search would be appreciated. I know your resources are still growing, but perhaps your people will have information mine do not.”

 

“Of course,” She agrees, standing to take her leave. “I…will go and see what I can find.”

 

Dirthamen thanks her, offering a hug before she strides back out towards the paths to her own lands.

It is another two days before one of his people finds the location of Glory’s bunker, and Dirthamen leaves to reclaim whatever is left of Selene.

–

 

Selene listens attentively, curled up while Glory tells her of their past. Forced into a body, into servitude, into Falon'dins hold. It is a tragic tale, and Selene knows if they had approached her before she had met Dirthamen, she would have offered her services to their cause entirely.

But she could not betray him now.

 

“He is a  _monster_.” Glory insists. “Like his brother.”

 

“He is not,” Selene argues, shifting back into her natural form to make a stronger argument. Snorts and whines just aren’t quite cutting it, in her dragon shape. “Dirthamen has his flaws, of course he does. He is not always kind, and his understanding of other people is still growing. But he is making an effort to be better, to be better, to  _understand_. Monsters don’t care about the people they hurt. He does.”

 

“We’re still talking about the same person, yeah?” Squish snorts from the same corner. “Because I worked for him for a long time, and I can tell you firsthand he absolutely does not care about the people who get hurt, nearly so much as he is intrigued by their pain.”

 

“You have also been away for a long time,” Selene says. “He has changed,  _is_  changing. I have never been held against my will, I have watched him change and learn and become kinder over the years!”

 

Glory rolls their eyes.

 

Selene huffs, frustrated that her pleas seem to be falling on ears of those that have already condemned him. “I’m not under any kind of thrall! I just love him, he is a good man!”

 

“Love can be its own thrall,” Squish mutters from where she is still propped against the wall.

Selene lets out a loud noise of frustration, angrily pulling on the pile of clothes Squish had brought in from earlier. “What would it take to convince you that I’m telling the truth?”

 

Before they can answer, the door to Glory’s office slams open and Mana'din strides in.

 

She pauses as she takes in the scene; Squish, relaxed against a wall, Glory, sitting comfortably back in their chair, and Selene still pulling the robe around her otherwise still naked and freshly shifted form.

 

Mana'din gestures angrily to Selene “ _THIS_  was your brilliant plan?”

 

Selene blinks, having never seen her lose her cool like this, and takes a slow step out of the path between Mana'din and Glory.

 

“It worked.” They respond flippantly.

 

“Do you have any idea what sort of distress you have caused? How much development you may have  _undone_?”

 

“She needed help.”

 

“They were happy! Do you know how long it has been since my father has been  _happy_?”

 

“Then I am glad to have taken it from him.”

 

Mana'din seems to sigh then, before turning to Selene “What do you want to do?”

 

Selene blinks, and pulls the ties together on the robe “I want to go back, of course.”

 

She nods, and turns to Glory “Then you will send her back.”

 

“The hell I will!”

 

“This is not a discussion, it is an order.”

 

Glory rises from their chair, fuming as they step towards Mana'din before the torches flicker and the bunker shakes.

 

“Oh no.” Whisper Mana'din and Selene as they exchange a knowing look.

 

The bunker shakes again, and a few voices can be heard screaming before being abruptly silenced, as it the room rattles around them once more.

Like footsteps.

 

Glory’s hand reaches for the sword on their hip, as they and Squish stride into the hall, weapons ready. Selene follows, staring down the hall as a dripping mass of blackened ooze slams guards and soldiers violently into the walls. Great wings with dark, glistening feathers sprout from several sides of it, too large to fit into such a cramped hallway, but moving and flicking angrily all the same.

 

Glory charges towards the creature, and Selenes legs take off like a shot behind them.

“ _ **No!**_ ” She screams, loudly enough to startle Glory, allowing Dirthamen’s outstretched, dripping hand to knock them off balance as they let out a cry of pain. Selene grabs the wrist as it raises for a second blow, holding on as tight as she can while it tries to shake her off. “It’s me!” She cries, arms tightening their hold as she slips on the substance, legs dangling in the air “Dirthamen! Vhenan, it’s  _ **me**_!”

 

Cold air continues to spread through the narrow passage, enveloping them all as mana pokes and prods at her, and a second hand extends beneath her, gently cupping at her legs.

 

“Selene?” Grumbles the mass, liquid sliding like oil off the sleek surface of a familiar mask, emerging from the front of the being curiously.

  
“Yes!” She cries “Yes, it’s me, it’s Selene. I’m here, I’m ok, it’s alright!”

 

Carefully, she is settled back onto the ground. She keeps her eyes focused on him, on trying to help him shift into a more manageable form while the sludge slumps off of his form and vanishes between the cracks in the floor.

“Selene,” he mumbles wrapping himself around her entirely. “Selene,  _Selene._ I thought you were dead.”

 

“I’m alright Vhenan, it’s ok. I’m right here with you,” she soothes, whispering reassuring words to him while he shrinks back to his average elf size in her arms, wings still wrapped around her as his mask clatters to the floor and his face buries itself in the crook of her neck.

 

Glory regains their footing behind her, sword raised and still ready to strike. Mana'din places her hand on their arm, and shakes her head. They hesitate, staring at the pair for a moment, caught between a piece of the vengeance they’ve been seeking for so long, and the terrifying knowledge that Selene may have been telling the truth.

 

Dirthamens top most set of eyes glance up at Glory, and from where they stand they are hit with a thick wave of remorse, and guilt, directed to them. An apology?

Glory’s fist tightens around the hilt of their sword, but before they can take another step, Dirthamen and Selene are gone. Vanished, in a rush of magic and feathers, leaving behind only the trail of wounded soldiers that had been unfortunate enough to get into the Evanuris’s path.

 

They will have to relocate, Glory thinks with a lead feeling in the pit of their stomach. And then devise a new plan of attack.

No reason this should have been a total loss, after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Significant Time Jump

“I’m trying very hard not to see all this as a metaphor for my life.”

Selene snorts, watching as Glory adjusts their robes for the third time. Getting ready to attend the first ‘official and on the books’ council meeting since the end of the war, where Dirthamen and Mana'din and Squish are already waiting, along with a few other representatives they plan on adding to the council.

“Well, with a name like  _Glory_ , I’m not sure the quiet life is something you were really meant for.”

“I don’t need it permanently, but maybe going from ‘leading a rebellion’ to 'all out war’ to 'leader of the people’ is overdoing it,” they mutter.

“No one would force this on you, if you’re uncomfortable with it,” Selene reminds them.

Glory pauses, and raises a skeptical eyebrow at Selene as they tug on their gold trimmed robes again “So if I said I was going to take off into the far depths of the dreaming and never return, I’d be left in peace?”

“You’d certainly be missed, and your loss would be palpable, but we wouldn’t hunt you down or anything, no.”

“Your other lover may feel differently.”

“I think you’re misjudging where his priorities lie. He would leave you in peace, if you wished it.”

Glory just shakes their head, still adjusting to viewing Dirthamen as something other than a monster. It has been…a very long road.

And catching their reflection, decked out in gold and silk and elaborate adornments isn’t helping things.

 

“I’m not wearing this.” They finally admit, sliding the material down their arms and tossing it into the corner.

“Alright,” Selene nods, striding in to help undo the ties in the back of the next layer she had done up only a few minutes earlier. “What would you like to wear?”

“My battle armor.”

“The blood is still being cleaned from it,” Selene reminds them “I think some of your leathers are still in decent enough condition though.”

“You mean the  _riding outfit_?”

“Well, you never wanted to use them…”Selene muses, carefully pulling the cloth away from Glorys skin.

 

They turn around to face the taller woman, a smug grin rising as they catch her staring at their chest. Scarred, but theirs, and their choice to keep. “I could always go nude,” They purr, one finger tracing Selenes jawline.

Selene clears her throat “I think that may too distracting for the situation at hand.”

“For who?”

Selenes gaze darts to meet theirs and mutters “You know who.”

Glorys smirk widens as they step closer to Selene, lips hovering just beneath hers. “Nope,” they claim, with a pop on the p, “I have absolutely no idea…”

Selene bites down on her bottom lip, tilting ever so slightly closer to them, eyes going half-hooded as her top lip brushes just against their own.

And then she tilts back onto the balls of her feet with a playful “Squish, of course.”

“Of course,” Glory mutters.

  
Selene just gives a playful smile as she walks backwards towards the doorway “I’ll go see if I can find an outfit more to your taste, and let them know we’ll be a little late.”

“We could be a lot late, if you’d prefer,” they call after her

  
“Mm,” Selene hums, turning to stride down the hall “Maybe later.”


	6. Chapter 6

Selene lets out a heavy sigh as she flips through her notes from the latest Council meeting. The bloodshed of the war is finally over, and while much of the previously lower-level elves have accommodated well to the new way of things, getting those who were higher up and used to certain privileges that will no longer be tolerated is…a process, to put it lightly. Not to mention the loyalists who think her husbands head should be on a platter, or that he should be forced into Uthenera with the rest of his family.

 

“That’s a mighty loud sigh for such a small dragon,” Glorys voice teases from behind the curtain for the bath house.

 

Selene huffs, pushing aside the curtain “Well excuse me for not being an ancient, powerful, giant, spirit, dragon…person.”

“Not your best comeback.”

“I’m a little tired. I’ll send you a memo when I decide on a better one.”

“I look forward to it,” they grin. “Come relax in the bath if you’re tired. You don’t want to go to bed stressed out, do you?”

 

Selene looks at the water contemplatively. It does look warm, steam rising from the lightly scented bath, and she can feel the knots in her back crying for it.

“…Maybe just for a minute,” she permits, stripping out of her layers. She carefully wraps her notes in her tunic, to ensure the moisture in the air won’t damage them while she bathes.

 

She steps into the bath and a low purr rumbles out of her as her tense muscles ease into the heat of the bathwater. Glory chuckles at the noise “Come sit in my lap, if you’re that tense.”

 

Selene eases one eye open “If you think I’m moving of my own accord now, you are sorely mistaken Glory.”

  
“May I move you then?” They offer.

  
Selene shrugs as she closes her eyes again “If you’d like,”

 

Selene’s only warning then is the slight raise in water level as Glory scoots closer to her side, before their arms scoop under her and plop her comfortably into their lap, her back to their chest. Selene relaxes into their touch, as Glorys fingers begin to rub through the knots in her shoulders and upper back. Too much time hunched over tables, scribbling notes and plans and attempting to reconcile ideas and issues. Too many nights with too little sleep. Too much time spent rushing between feuds and people and errands and neglecting her own basic needs in favor of things she deems more important.

Selene lets out a soft sigh, one of relief this time as Glory continues to knead at her muscles and she can feel her body beginning to relax again.

 

Glorys lips press gently to the back of Selenes neck, and she swallows. It’s not anything new between them, Selene and Glory had become close in various ways throughout the war after they had not-quite-kidnapped her. Friends, and then confidants, and after a discussion with Dirthamen and Squish, occasional bed mates.

Selene attempts to turn in their grip, but they press a harder kiss to the crook of her neck, and their hands move to explore the planes of her stomach and keep her in place.

“It’s alright,” They murmur in her ear.

“Feels a little one sided,” Selene teases “Wouldn’t want anyone to think  _I’m_  the selfish one between us.”

Glory snorts, at that. “Goodness forbid.” Their hands drift further, one moving up to gently stroke her lower breast while the other dips between her thighs “I  _want_ to do this, if you’ll allow me to.”

Selene relaxes into their touch, eyes drifting closed again as she hums her consent into the rising heat of the washroom.

–

 

Glory climbs out of the basin first, when they are finished and cleaned. Selene is still largely a pile a contented mush resting against the steps.

“I thought this was supposed to help me be  _less_  tired,” she points out while taking Glorys hand as they assist her out and towards a cleaned towel.

“I never said less tired. I said less stressed,” they grin.

Selene just gives a quiet ‘hrm’ in response, twisting the water out of her hair before getting back into her clothes and inspecting her notes for water damage. They seem alright, although the ink appears to have run in a few spots, which she decides will need to be cleaned up before they are put away. Glory finishes the last few buttons on their own outfit and presses a kiss to Selenes forehead.

“Try to actually sleep tonight,” They advise.

“I-..I sleep,” Selene evades.

“Not enough.”

“How would you know?”

“We  _all_  know.”

Selene frowns and lets out a quiet huff before Glory continues “Go to bed. Your notes can wait until morning.”

Selene debates arguing the point, but she doesn’t really have a leg to stand on. Without the adrenaline rush of their previous activities, and with her muscles finally relaxed, she feels drained and exhausted, and ready to crawl into bed for several hours at least. “Alright. Thank you,” she says instead.

Glory smiles and gives a playful wink and an offer of “Anytime,” before making their way out of the bathhouse.


End file.
